Additional Recommendations on Discipline
of the Donaldson, Arkansas Peace Meeting, 1953
The following additional items under the heading of Discipline were adopted at the Donaldson, Arkansas Peace Meeting in 1953:
20. To censure a church, or condemn a church, or non-fellowship a church or churches in doctrine or practice, without labor, or trial or investigation is disorder of the discipline, doctrine and practice of the church.
21. We further recommend to our brethren that they should recognize that there is a difference in an exclusion and a division. An exclusion is where a member or members are withdrawn from by the church for an offense. A division is when a church cannot agree and the minority also sets themselves up as the church.
22. We further recommend, when a member receives a letter from his home church and places it in a church of the same faith and order, the church granting said letter has no further jurisdiction over said member. If a member receives a letter from his or her home church, the same party is a member of the church granting the letter and is amenable to her until his letter is placed in another church of the same faith and practice. We wish our people would follow this.
23. We further recommend, when a member is expelled from one church or leaves a church without a letter or recommendation and joins another church of the same faith and order, it is gross disorder; and we further recommend that said member return to the church he or she left and be reconciled.
24. We further state and believe that fornicators and adulterers should not be retained in the church of Christ. All such offenders must be excluded and repent on the outside of the church. This is one of the chief glories of the gospel church over the law: that repentance is evidence of godly sorrow, not only by individuals but of churches and should be recognized by the church of God. No church should restore a member for any offense knowing that it will cause trouble, confusion or disturb sister churches.
25. We further believe and state that our young brethren, who are called of God to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, have before them many things which will determine their success or failure. Sound or unsound preaching affects the life of God's people before whom the ministers stand to preach or teach, and we believe they are influenced by what they are being taught. Therefore, it is a duty and should be required of the minister that they should carefully regard the Scriptural instructions to study, meditate, and not strive to magnify himself, but the office, by earnestly contending for the faith once delivered unto the saints. Jude 3. We are not judging anyone to hurt, but to help our dear cause and our ministers. We further recommend that great care should be taken, first, in recognizing the brother's gift. It should be discovered in its use as it becomes profitable in edifying, feeding, and teaching in the power and demonstration of the Spirit. I. Thess. 1:5. The minister should be willing to go into the field as the Bible directs and be ready to preach. To preach is more than to stand behind the desk. Romans 1:14, 15. It requires study. II. Tim. 2:15. Qualifications must be met, as found in I. Tim. 3:1-7; and then taking heed unto himself as recorded in I. Tim. 4:13-16. Study to learn what to preach and what not to preach or teach - I. Tim. 1:3,4; that his profiting may be appear to all - I. Tim. 4:15. He should give himself wholly to the work - I. Tim. 4:15. He must not strive but be gentle - II. Tim. 2:24. He should study to know how to rightly divide the word of truth - II. Tim. 2:15. We further believe these things should be carefully regarded by the church before any church ordains her gift; and the church calling for the ordination should be of a oneness before going forward, both for the sake of the cause and the church; also for the good of the brother.
26. Brethren, there have been complaints brought before this committee where small churches have been dropped by sister churches, without gospel labor, adn without consideration of her rights. We believe and recommend that each church shuold have regard for the rights of her sister churches to such an extent that they will bestow labor of love just as they would to reclaim an erring member of her church. Inasmuch as we have stated that a member excluded from an orderly Primitive Baptist Church stands excluded from every orderly Primitive Baptist Church, shows that we believe there is a mutual responsibility among the churches. We feel to be related to every church and feel to be benefited by every orderly Primitive Baptist Church. We further state that we feel we should have the same regard and respect for every orderly Primitive Baptist Church. We must keep this in mind and abide by it if we expect the same from sister churches. This relationship is sacred. Sister church certainly expresses close relationship. We beg you to go back home with equal love for every orderly Primitive Baptist Church. Churches sometimes make mistakes - we all do, but let us consider such as human. The mantle of forgiveness and forbearance should be granted among troubled and repenting churches and brethren. This refers to breethren who are trying to live orderly and not to those who may be referred to as criminals.
27. We recommend to our brethren that where there is trouble and confusion among churches and they are disturbed themselves, and trying to agree on their differences, that our ministers refrain from going among them unless invited to do so, and then not to take sides in the trouble and fellowship it. No minister away from the trouble knows enough about the trouble which is local to do that; neither is it his business, unless called upon, either by the church involved or some grieved sister church. To do so will affect his people back home, whether he is aware of it or not. We further ask churches not to encourage talebearers and busybodies.
28. We do not believe that god requires now, or has ever required a church or an individual of her membershuip to repent and ask forgiveness for something they are not guilty of, but He does require each one to confess their faults one to the other. Brethren, let us be careful in our pleas to forgive everybody and everything in the church.
29. It appears that many churches are divided and one side desires peace and begs the other side for a get-together. She desires reconciliation and makes every effort for and appeals for such. The other side refuses any effort and spurns every attempt and seems satisfied for the other brethren to be isolated, or for themselves to be isolated. We wish to recommend in such cases that those desiring reconciliation who cannot get together and get a hearing with their opposing brethren on the other side, that those desiring to meet all requirements to be an orderly church, should have the assistance of sister churches by a call from both sides. But we further recommend that if one side will not join in the call, the brethren or side desiring to be orderly and live with the great body of Baptists may make such call. We recommend, however, that such call shall be made only after the other side has been notified of such intention to call and given an invitation to attend. Then when such investigations are made by orderly churches and the brethren are found to be sound in doctrine and practice and order, they should be recognized as an orderly church by the Baptists.
Copied from The Donaldson, Arkansas Peace Meeting, pp. 12-15.
